Somebody Without Something

How does one get a thing? First step is to know what a thing is. You can see many examples of a thing looking around at all different types of humans that exist everywhere. Some have a thing and enjoy it greatly. Some have a thing they dislike. Some are searching for a thing to have. And more still don’t have a thing and don’t care to ever have one.

Life bestows a thing upon the lucky few. When I was growing up I had several friends who had their things from an early age. One was a chef. They were always a chef as long as I’ve known them. Things take different forms and exist in different states for everyone. That is both the beauty and the curse of life. Through many years of deep conversation I learned that even when you have a thing it’s not always wonderful. Some days my friend loved being a chef and some days they hated it. Some days it was extremely difficult to get out of bed and go to work. But they did it and the thing therefore prospered and grew. This particular example took their thing all over the world. It appeared in many different forms and has stayed with them to this day.

Another friend still had an amazing thing in IT. All things computers. Someone for whom the internet was an untapped playground for both cool and fun and spooky and occasionally illegal things. This person could do anything with a PC and an internet connection. Their thing provided not only ample employment. It helped form a social circle in the sharing of media and ideas amongst a group of friends that continues to this day.

I don’t know if I have a thing. I could say that I have several and yet I feel that none of them have developed into the all-encompassing interest that pervades my life. But I would like a thing. And studying those I know that do have a thing has given me both hope, and a blueprint for how to get there.

One thing that I have observed about things is that while they might come easily to some they are absolutely not easy to those who have them. Things require work. Constant dedication and hard graft. That’s how you cultivate a thing. These people I know didn’t just get things bestowed upon them. They discovered their thing and then worked hard at it.

This is my solemn promise to myself. That I will work hard at whatever I am passionate about and be consistent in my toil so that one day I will have a big bright burning thing of my own.